As average temperatures rise and heatwaves become more common, heat stress on animals will challenge our milk, egg and meat supplies.

Seafood is a potential alternative as long as it is sourced from sustainable fisheries – and is prepared as a healthy option (steamed or grilled, not deep-fried with chips).

But the marine environment isn’t immune to climate change either. Increasing ocean temperatures and acidification will probably alter species abundance and distribution and bring further challenges to sustainability.

As Australia’s population grows and its food-producing regions diminish under higher temperatures and increasingly uncertain rainfall, fresh produce may become less reliably available and more expensive. We may come to rely more and more heavily on processed foods rather than fresh produce, and turn increasingly to imported foods.

Greater reliance on global food systems means Australia’s food security becomes more precarious, increasingly subject to the whims of international markets. Our food also becomes potentially less safe: the more lengthy and complex the chain of supply, the more opportunities for contamination and the harder it becomes to trace the source – not to mention the greater food miles and added environmental pressures from transporting foods vast distances.

Poorer hit hardest

Not everyone will experience the same dietary pressures as the world warms up. Those with plenty of cash may still choose to buy the more expensive fresh produce – a crunchy apple might become a luxury!

At the same time, this group may also be influenced by ethical arguments to buy more sustainable agricultural products, choosing perhaps wallaby or rabbit over a juicy steak.

Time-poor low- and middle-income earners will face a tougher time. Processed foods are cheaper by the calorie, and a sugary, fatty muesli bar is sometimes easier to pack in a lunchbox than a bruise-prone banana or apple.

People on lower incomes and with lower educational attainment are more likely to be overweight or obese. As accessibility and affordability of fresh food decline, this same group could be increasingly vulnerable to obesity and related health issues.

It is not all doom and gloom, though, for Australia’s fresh food production. Australia is well known for its innovation and already farms are becoming more efficient at producing more food with less water and developing technologies to deal with increasing climate pressures. Some are already taking up the challenge to eat a healthier diet which is more sustainable.

Such measures here, along with the developing interest in buying “ugly food”, also have the potential to save our increasingly precious fruits and veggies from the rubbish bin and help keep healthy eating affordable.

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